Mosquito-guard



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. D. PUFFER, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

AMostwlTo-GUARD.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 53,334, dated March 20, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. D. PUFFER, of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Mosquito-Guard; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

The invention relates to a new method ot' preventing attacks of mosquitoes upon persons lying in bed, by the employment of a mosquito-guard so made that it can be laid over the face and neck of the person without coming in contact therewith, while the edges of the guard which rest upon the bed-clothes are protected from entrance of the mosquitoes by a loose fringe which will drop into and ll the irregularities or undulations in the bedclothing.

The invention consists, therefore, in a Inosquito-guard for the head or face made of a netting' or ganze stretched over a suitable frame, and having a loose fringe hanging from the base or rim of the frame.

The drawing represents a view of a mosquito-guard embodying the invention.

c denotes a circular or elliptic ring, to which a series of semicircular or semi-elliptic ribpieces, b, are attached, the whole making a fra-me, over which a netting or gauze fabric, c, is stretched. The pieces aand b may be made of steel or hoop-skirt wire or other similar material, and they may be connected together so as to fold up.

The netting b extends below the rim or basering a and has applied to it a loose fringe, d. When a person is lying in bed the frame is placed over the face, with one side of the rim a resting above the head upon the pillow, and the other side upon the clothes over his breast. The frame will then keep the netting away from his face and protect the same from mosquitoes, while the fringe d, lying loosely upon the clothes, lls up all holes or spaces through which the mosquitoes might enter if no fringe were employed.

In the use of the common and well-known mosquito-bar suspended over a bed there is always to a greater or less degree annoyance from mosquitoes which lie concealed about the bedstead, and which are shut in by the netting7 or from those which get in near the iioor. Too great area is left for their entra-nce, the netting extending over the whole bed, although it is generally the face alone which needs protection. When apiece of gauze or netting is laid directly upon theface the contact lis unpleasant, and the insects sting through it. It', however, the netting can be supported over the face and at a little distance from it, and the edges are at the same time protected from the entrance of the mosquitoes, the face will be perfectly protected,and this result is effected by the guard made as described.

The device is cheap and simple, is easily made, and is found to be a very desirable article.

The cost of the common mosquitoEbar is so great as to prevent its employment, except to a very limited extent; but the small cost of the guard made as herein described will enable its use to be almost universal.

A face-guard is sometimes made to wear, but it has to be confined over the face, whereas in my invention there is no connement. The guard is merely laid over the face, and .it is found by practical use that it keeps in place with but very little, if any, trouble.

It will be obvious that the fringe extending below the ring c may be composed of a loose portion of the netting, and it will also be obvious that the guard may be employed as a protection against other iiies and insects besides mosquitoes.

I claim- In combination with the deep frame a b and covering c, the narrow fringe or edging d, the whole forming a 1nosquito-guard for the face, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of January, A. D. 1866.

A. D. PUFFER.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS GoULD, S. B. KIDDER. 

